Holmes County, MS Shrink-Swell Risk

Holmes County, MS's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Holmes County, MS: USDA's soil survey rates 84.3% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (3.44% linear extensibility). Conventional foundations are the reasonable expectation here, with routine moisture-control practice rather than special engineering.

What Holmes County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Holmes County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Holmes County will actually do.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Holmes County, MS rating "Moderate", a geotechnical report is still worthwhile before a build, just less urgent than in a high-risk county. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.

Where this sits nationally

Nationally, Holmes County, MS is the 882-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Mississippi alone it ranks 23 of 82. The county spans 757 square miles, home to 15,560 people.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Kendall County, IL and Bonner County, ID are worth a look for comparison.

How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil

More of Mississippi

Every county in Mississippi is on this site, including Webster County, MS and Tippah County, MS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.